Stranger, please save Shiren!

Like some of you I’ve been playing Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, but instead of trying my best to avoid Mini Robbers and Mamels I purposely died at the beginning of the journey to test out the online rescue system.

Once Shiren falls the game saves and you’re given the option to use up one of the precious three rescues in your possession. You can ping a friend if you know someone’s friend code or beg forums for help by using a 56 digit alphanumeric password.

Asking people publicly for help isn’t any fun. I wanted to see how long it would take for an altruistic soul to save my Shiren. Now, the waiting game…

Shiren can also leave a limited message out of five pages of canned phrases. What you can say is pretty restricted and to demonstrate this I constructed a fake dialogue between two Shiren players using the available phrases while waiting.

Dead Shiren

Help!

Somebody please rescue me.

I really need a rescue

Please

I’m stuck

I’ll give you a reward

Shiren rescue squad

Hi

Dead Shiren

Ran out of food.

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

Shiren rescue squad

Would you give me a weapon?

Dead Shiren

My reward is not much but… (gives other Shiren a riceball).

:)

I was surprised the wait to get saved was less than an hour, in the middle of the night. After getting a “;)” message from my rescuer I carried on (i.e. reset the game). Perhaps, my case is an exception because I literally died in the first dungeon. In any case to be saved so quickly shows one thing, the unseen Shiren community is a friendly one.

Soooo… you gave him a riceball, huh? After starving in the first dungeon? I’m sorry to break it to you, but you suck at this game! ;)

tapsel

Oh I see… Missed the word “purposedly” in there.

jeffx

I’m loving this game but I guess Smash Bros Brawl has more appeal right now. Whatever, I’ll be free the whole summer ;)

Lord Gek

While hte phrases are pretty limited in general, it’s REALLY annoying when you want to send back a thank you letter to the one who rescued you. Short of maybe “Hi” or “:)” none of them apply.

Savory

Shiren has become my favorite DS game. I never really played a Roguelike before, but now I want to check out more.

The Rescue mode is pretty cool and a great way for the Rescuer to stock up on items. I’ve just done rescues for random people on WFC so far since I don’t know anyone with the game. Don’t suppose anyone wants to exchange Friend Codes? ^__^

Angelous

God, I love Shiren. I thank Jeremy Parish of 1UP/EGM for that.

http://www.siliconera.com Spencer

@Lord Gek – It’s true the phrases really are limited and too many don’t differ from “thank you”. “Thanks Much!” “Thanks!!” could have been replaced with more useful phrases like “Here’s my most precious possession” or “If you need a rescue look for me”